Hi!

So... I just got the Swedish Gamereactor issue today. It includes a two page long article with unfortunately the same pictures as before.
Anyway, there are a few interesting things that I read there that I thought was worth posting here.

1. It seems (it can be interpreted differently) we can now combine different kinds of magic types (spells). In any case we'll be able to dual-wield different kinds of spells at the same time.
My comment: It was http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/01/24/skyrim-building-better-combat.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 (a long time ago) that he wanted spells to combine spells. It seems that they've succeded in doing that now, if the Gamereactor article is correct about this.
Some other peoples' comments: Some other people (on this forum) think this only mean we can "dual wield" spells and not actually combine their effects.
If you wonder about the correct context, it was the following (translated): "In Skyrim, combat works like in Bioshock 2, where each trigger controls an arm. How you then choose to use them are up to you, maybe a sword and a shield, a two-handed axe, bow and arrow or maybe use both fire and ice magic at the same time."

2. Spells cause all "lose exterior and interior" (objects) to "fly away" madly.
My comment: It's like in Oblivion, but I'm guessing to a bigger extent now, so that more things are affected.
If you wonder about the correct context, it was the following (translated): "When holding down both triggers, a magician can combine both hands to unleash an extremely powerful spell against his/her opponents, that doesn't just cause serious damage but also make all lose exterior and interior (objects) to fly away madly".

3. There are chainmails in the game!

4. Bleeding has more effect than before.
My comment: The writer didn't actually say that explicitly, but rather through a "storytelling" of a fight Dovahkiin had with a bandit.
If you wonder about the correct context, it was the following (translated): "A good hit led to the enemy bleeding heavily. Eventually he sank down, sits on his knees for a short moment before he falls down."

5. "There are now better possibilites than before to quickly see which items are better and worse than the ones you already have thanks to a seriously overhauled menu system."
It's easier to switch items and get away from the unnecessarily troublesome and time-consuming browsing in the menus that was found in the predecessors.
My comment: Not much new I think ... but really only a clarification of the menu system now being better.

6. There are hidden caves, hidden ships, secrets in the water and the highest mountains to climb in an Elder Scrolls game so far.
My comment: This was the most interesting part I think. Hidden caves, hidden ships and secrets in the water were all something that Oblivion lacked of severely. One might even wonder what "secrets in the water" mean.

7. Concerning the PC version, the following was said (translated): "For the PC things will of course look better, even though it was already said that there won't be any DirectX 11 support".
My comment: It seems we got conflicting sources here. It was said DX11 was supported here (but without any of its actual features): http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/115/1158776p2.html
I also think Todd mentioned something similar in other reviews and in interviews (that Skyrim will support DX11 for performance only). I think it's better to go with those sources in this case than to go with this Gamereactor article. Concerning what the writer of the article means with "For the PC things will of course look better", I can only guess he means anti aliasing and higher resolution textures, as that's what Todd has said before as well.

8. Gamereactor has before named Skyrim as "the hottest game of the year". This still stands, and the writer ends the article saying that Skyrim will be something extraordinary.

:intergalactic:

Interesting info, I'm kinda glad that Chainmail is coming back hopefully it's changed up a bit.

DirectX 11 Support have already been confirmed to be in by Todd Howard. - He have also said that DirectX 11 features might be implemented later in development, but as of now, it's just for performance.

As for the hidden caves, hidden ships and secrets in the water - I totally agree with you, Oblivion was really lacking those features, and I'm really happy that we'll see more of it in Skyrim!

Thanks for posting! I think he meant you can just cast fire and ice at the same time. Whether they'll combine together is still up in the air though.

looks nice.

"make all lose exterior and interior to fly madly"


*causes all loose objects, indoors and outdoors, to fly away wildly from the player.*

Highest mountains to climb? Can't you just use teleport? Skip all the climbing. (I don't remember how it worked in Oblivion ^^)

We don't know for certain, Dragonborn1.

It could be that we can have both types equipped but they won't combine to create a new spell, but they may have finally figured out a way to combine different types of spells to create new spells.

Cheers for posting. Still think 1. doesn't necessarily mean combining spells, might just be dual wielding still, but "secrets in the water' is the best thing I have heard all day, fantastic news.

Don't quite get the better items in inventory thing. Will it try to tell me a fully repaired iron cuirass is better than a badly damaged Dwemer one, or that an Ebony axe is better than an Elven shortsword, when all my one handed perks are in swords? Have to reserve judgement on that one.

Fire spell in one hand, ice spell in the other = Yes
Combine to make fire-ice spell = No

Nice article sum up and I liked how you wrote it, made it easy to read rather than a list of useless facts. Thanks OP!

As I just said a few posts above, we don't know for certain. They may have figured out a way to make it work.

I don't see the point of the inventory help.
Have we really come to the point in which we need to be told by a colour what is good and what is bad? Is it that hard to just read the stats and make a decision for yourself?
What's next, an arrow showing you where to go? Oh...

Not sure about the inventory thing either. Just that it's faster to compare items now...
Wonder how
My personal guess is that it won't be just a spreadsheet like before.


But what would the effect be if we have a fire spell and ice spell in each hand? That's the question
In any case, I don't remember there even be anything about dual wielding different kinds of spells before. All I remember hearing about spells before was that you could dual wield the same spell for greater effect...

It's been in RPG's for decades.

@hlvr They said we could dual wield different spells, but they just wouldn't combine unless they're the same spell. If we have fire in one hand and ice in the other, we'll just cast each one for fire and ice effects. If we cast two fire spells, then it'll combine for a mega fire attack.

In number 4, about the bleeding, I think you might be wrong about it having an effect. Sounds to me like just normal animations.

Awesome! Death animations are far better than insta-ragdoll, and I think they've got the perfect mix this time

I honestly don't think this is going to be too different from Oblivion. Ever heard of Fin Gleam? The hidden helmet you could find underwater?

And I don't see how there could be hidden caves, or hidden ships. Does this mean caves that don't have a map marker pop up right when you walk by it? If not then it's not hidden.

Something I hope we see at E3. I'll be happy with one in depth fight with melee, magic, and a dragon shout and one conversation showing off the new dialogue system. I'd like to see the new crime system in action, as well as Alchemy, but the first two are first priority for me.

Yeah, I'm interested int the dialogue system especially - how will they make choosing options non-intrusive?

And some videos on knockback will be awesome

I'm sure it will work the same way as it did in Dragon Age and Divinity 2, where if you hovered over an item it showed the item's stats and your equipped item's stats, so you can compare them.

I'm especially interested to see how a conversation plays out if a guard/enemy comes after you while we're already talking to someone. I wonder if we'll even be able to start a conversation during certain circumstances.

I think it's going to be very very very different from Oblivion.
It's well-known Oblivion's environments, dungeons (well basically everything) lacked of a unique and truly detailed touch, and there were never really any hidden things. Fin Fleam was pretty much the only secret in the water in entire Oblivion. Rest was just sand and rocks, and a slaughterfish every mile or so.

Also, caves could be hidden by having them in places which are very hard to notice or reach. Ships could be sunk or behind some island far away, which you can't see from shore. There are tons and tons of possibilites.

If you're referring to compass icons, I personally think they're gone or at least optional now.

A hidden ship could mean "encased in ice", now... where did I put that major fire scroll?

Yea, Todd also said we'll see glacier dungeons, which could very well be hidden.